While there are a lot of good things that can come out of a lox and bagels brunch, international politics wouldn’t be one that immediately comes to mind. It turns out that brunch, complete with quiche and mimosas, provides a delightful canvas for some excellent alliance-making. A recent brunch in New York, hosted by Ambassador Stuart Beck of Palau, ended up being one of those occasions.

When our group, Yale’s Oceans Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Alliance, arrived, we were greeted by Ambassador Beck, the undeniable star of the show. Some of the players were already there, including Palau’s newest ambassador, Caleb Otto. Otto has a background in health and social services in Palau and he hopes to combat non-communicable diseases in Palau. Our team mingled, chatted with Palau’s United…

Growing up, I thought that Charlie’s Angels were the epitome of hard-core. I never would have guessed that I would be on a team very much like my childhood heroines — minus the kung fu and tight leather getup! Meet Yale’s Oceans Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Alliance, fighting the good fight with nothing but passion and good research.

Connie Vogelmann is a fourth-year joint J.D. and M.E.M. student with the Yale Law School and Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES). She has a background in biology and an interest in conservation biology and environmental law.

Maria Rojas is a second-year masters student in the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. She has a concentration on China and research experience with environmental policy in the international realm…